Humin's Intelligent Contact App

Free for iOS, a new hub for everyone you connect with

Released today, Humin is far more than a replacement for your native iPhone contacts app—it's a replacement for your phone app, as well. And while that might seem like a giant leap for many iPhone users, what Humin offers ultimately betters the entire experience. Like other contact aggregators, the native contact app, Facebook, LinkedIn, Gmail and more are all drawn together in one unified database—which also happens to be visually stunning. The similarities, however, stop there. Keeping on top of contacts has long been one of the most challenging processes, and can be a nightmare at times. As an offshoot, it has become one of the most complicated app functionality categories—and right now, Humin is the best because it thinks differently.

First, Humin is very easy to use. After a quick set up (during which Humin requests permission to access all of the channels users want incorporated) the app prompts users to verify their details. From there, the option exists to ping all those contacts for their own updates and verifications. While it's optional, this guarantees accuracy and will ultimately lead to automatic updates down the line—keeping Humin ever-current. This validation is one example of how Humin differentiates itself. As much as it is a contact and phone application, it's also a community of sorts—and one that's always evolving.

Much like the iPhone phone app, Humin has a toolbar at the bottom with five options. A "favorites" section allows users to select and pin down the most frequently used contacts. Demonstrating its own intelligence, Humin actually populates this field during set up with those a users phone has most frequently communicated with, and then it lets the user organize or alter them. Next in line, a "recents" tab reveals call history, voicemails and any updates that have occurred within contacts (specifically Humin verified ones). This feature, coupled with the "keypad" tab, allows users to forego the native phone app in its entirety. All of that functionality is right there within Humin. The two additional tab options include the "add" button, for registering a new contact—which also geolocates the entry for an additional search option later on—and most importantly, the "contacts" button.

Selecting the "contacts" button reveals a search screen. Users won't find contacts listed alphabetically. Rather, users are given the opportunity to search absolutely anything: a name, a location, a company, or even a moment. And Humin delivers. The app connects contacts with fundamentally human information: the moment of meeting, the location, and mutually scheduled calendar events. It's all about connectivity and all of it is searchable. Pulling up the desired contact reveals updates, information, images and the opportunity to call or text. It's beyond comprehensive and it's handy. But at the core of it all stands the context of relationships.

According to co-founder and CEO Ankur Jain, "When we first started looking at contact applications, we realized how antiquated the alphabetically list is. We realized the problem itself wasn't an issue with the contacts, but it was a search problem. The way our brain works, we think about the people we contact." He then delves further into the app's technological inspiration. "We started looking into the space and realized the list is not that different than what we were dealing with on the internet in the early '90s. People used to browse every single website on the internet, because the internet was in list form. Now you can search for information the way you think with keywords. We thought, what if we can apply that concept to people."

We don't want people to spend time on the app and away from the real world. We want it seamless and to create an emotional connection rather than taking that away.

Humin really is a more human approach to a contact database. "We wanted to build something that thinks the way you naturally do," Jain continues. "If we could accomplish that, then the product starts to disappear. You start to not even notice it. This lets you focus on real life. We don't want people to spend time on the app and away from the real world. We want it seamless and to create an emotional connection rather than taking that away." It's also worth mentioning that Humin doesn't have access to any user communication, be that texts or emails, and no third party is ever used. So altogether, it's a smart unified force that allows easy access to all contacts, and even boosts memories along the way.

Download the Humin contact app free of charge through the iTunes app store.